Mom, I'm Pregnant
by Blue's Imaginings
Summary: A few slight changes to the final episode of "A Year in the Life" find Rory telling Logan about her pregnancy before those final four words. Unfortunately, the Huntzbergers are less than thrilled with the news, and Rory finds her life spiraling out of control. Who will be there to help her pick up the pieces? Friendship, family, angst, and maybe even romance awaits!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This story is a continuation to Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, with a few adjustments to the Fall episode. Part One will span from Rory's adventure in New Hampshire with the Life and Death Brigade boys to the famous final four words to Lorelai on the steps of the Stars Hollow gazebo. Logan lovers, this story - and especially this section of the story - may not be for you. There will be friendship, family, angst, and maybe even romance. Enjoy!_

 **Part One: Chapters 1 - 8**

Chapter One

Saying goodbye to the Life and Death Brigade boys had torn at Rory's heart, and not just because it meant a final farewell to Logan. She had cried most of the way back New Hampshire, tipping the very uncomfortable cab driver _very_ well at the end of the trip.

At first, the idea to go to her grandmother's house to begin writing had been more about getting away from people (and especially her mother), and less about the place itself. As it turned out, however, emotional upheaval worked great as a muse. Sitting in her grandfather's study, surrounded by echoing memories of her youth and still aching over Logan, Finn, Colin, and Robert, the words just flew onto the pages. She was safe in the sanctuary she had built around herself, alone with her words, and it was exhilarating, freeing, perfect…

...right up until she looked at the calendar one morning and realized she should have gotten her period a little over a week after New Hampshire. And it had already been three weeks.

If anyone had asked her later how she spent that day, Rory wouldn't be able to answer them. From the moment she realized the possible implications of those dates, Rory had been lost to memories of weeks before:

The boys, appearing out of the fog in Stars Hollow...

Rooftop Golf…

Raiding Doose's…

Kirk's movie…

The tango club…

The key to Logan's family's house in Maine…

The "Dynastic Plan"...

The Inn in New Hampshire, moose head and all…

Rory, drunk and high on the night, going to Logan's room…

It was evening by the time Rory worked up the nerve to drive an hour away and nervously purchase a home pregnancy test in a 24-hour pharmacy. When she sat back in her grandparents' home staring down at the duo of pink lines, Rory couldn't feel anything but numb. She should be shocked, she knew; some distant part of her realized that she should be freaking out right now, scared or sad or angry, or… something. But she was numb. And when she closed her eyes, the morning she finally ended things with Logan played out in her mind like a tragic film.

 _Rory heard Logan waking up in the bed behind her before she saw him. She knew that if she looked back at him now, sleep mussed and grinning that cute little half grin, she would change her mind. So instead she kept her gaze on the rising sun outside the window for as long as she could get away with it._

 _She had been prepared for Logan to be unhappy when she returned the key, but she was surprised by a stray observation that he looked very much like Mitchum in that moment; his jaw tightening in a single unhidden sign of anger, even as his eyes sparkled and he smiled that charming half-grin._

 _At one time she may have caved at that look, but Logan was getting married, and Rory had learned her lesson about sleeping with married men. Moreover, she needed to believe that despite how much her life had unravelled over the past few years, she still deserved more than to be a rich society man's dirty little secret. She deserved more than being hidden away in a spare vacation home, conveniently waiting for when Logan had business in the country, so that he could visit his mistress and continue their affair. Perhaps the thought was harsh, but nevertheless, Rory finally felt that she was ready to break free of the Huntzberger chaos at last._

 _She called for a car from the bathroom as she cleaned up from the night's… activities. She had planned on a quick exit, but she couldn't stop herself from gently scolding the boys for their drunken shenanigans and checking on Robert's eye. Finn's playful, "Mother is judging us…?" was just like old times, and Rory wasn't sure if it made her want to laugh or cry. By then, the emotions she had been running from all morning had already caught up to her, and it took all she had not to give in to tears as they realized she was leaving._

 _Robert telling her they all loved her, so matter-of-fact, was nearly her undoing. Finn looked genuinely devastated ("This can't be goodbye?!") and Colin looked lost. Even the mask of defiance he tried to front with was woefully inadequate at covering up his own emotions. Rory almost changed her mind then, to stay around and try to cajole Colin into telling her what was wrong. Impulsively buying a Tango Club, a 1983 Dodge Colt, and a hideous backwoods New Hampshire inn - all in one evening - was after all excessive even for this eccentric group._

 _But Rory couldn't stay, and in the end turned to Finn, her heartfelt "I think I'll miss you most of all" surprising herself as much as it did him. She pulled herself away then, and let the others walk out without protest, leaving her to kiss Logan goodbye. It was hard, but not as hard as she imagined; not anywhere near as hard as it would have been before her decision in the early hours of the morning to prove to the world that she deserved love and happiness all her own._

 _So she said goodbye one last time, and though she cried all the way back to Stars Hollow, she was confident that she had made the right decision, sure that nothing could happen now to convince her to let one Logan Huntzberger back into her life…_

Of course, that was all before the strip turned pink.

Chapter Two

Rory went straight from Hayden Enterprises' headquarters to the airport, and booked the first available flight to London before she lost her nerve.

She had finally gone home to Stars Hollow after finding out she was pregnant, bringing the first three chapters of her book with her. She was grateful that she and her mom had been able to make up, at least tentatively, though it still weighed on her when she set up the doctor's appointment in secret and made tacky, vague excuses as she left the house that afternoon. The doctor had confirmed the pregnancy, and after sitting silently in her car in the parking lot outside the clinic for nearly two hours, Rory had somehow found herself pulling out her phone and calling just about the last person she would have expected in such a situation - her father Christopher.

She had never admitted to herself just how much she wanted to believe that Christopher regretted not being a bigger part of her life. It hurt, more than she was prepared for, when he couldn't bring himself to say that he would do things differently if he could go back and try again. Not only that, but some part of her had walked into his office hoping that whatever he had to say, it would convince her to tell Logan about the baby, for his sake as a father.

Instead, Rory left feeling awkward, hurt, and disappointed. And while she was far from convinced that telling Logan about the baby was the best choice for him - and almost certainly not for herself - she knew she needed to come clean. She had realized during the conversation with her father that she couldn't leave her child to grow up always wondering in the back of their mind if they were truly loved or wanted by their own dad. She couldn't control Logan's reaction to the news, but she could at least know that she had given him the opportunity to be involved.

Despite her racing thoughts, Rory tried her best to sleep on the plane. She would have a brief lay-over in Dublin, then arrive in London early the following morning. Since her return flight wasn't scheduled to leave until the evening after, it would give her nearly two days to talk to Logan and find out what role he wanted with the baby. She'd make it back just a day before the wedding. Sleep was hard to come by, however, and she hardly found enough energy to shoot a text to Logan (with her hotel address and room number saying they needed to talk) before she passed out on the bed.

Her suitcase lay open and half unpacked on the mattress beside her, the paperwork from the doctor concerning her pregnancy and the baby book she had picked up laying on top of the jumbled pile of clothing.

GgGgGgGgGg

Logan smirked as he keyed into Rory's room and slipped silently inside, already anticipating the evening ahead. Sometimes deep pockets and a charming smile really did have their benefits, not to mention young, flirty front desk attendents at cheap hotels who could be convinced to part with a room key. He had been angry - furious, really - when Rory had the gall to end their affair back in New Hampshire. He had provided her with everything she could possibly desire, a beautiful home, staff to keep the house and gardens, even cook for her! Besides which he genuinely cared for her and gave his time, attention, and affection whenever they were together. That's more than Mitchum's wife got from him, never mind the mistresses the man had had over the years, and to Logan that just proved that he was a better man than his father.

The important thing was that Rory was back now. He would generously forgive her the moment of panic that had her leaving him. He understood that the situation with Odette was bound to be somewhat difficult for Rory, who had grown up with ideals and morals that flew right in the face of their current arrangement, but she was learning, and he could be patient.

Logan smiled and loosened his tie, toeing off his shoes as he walked towards the bed and her soft, delicate snores. He knew she only snored like that when she had missed too much sleep, and he took this as just another sign that she regretted her actions in New Hampshire. The noon sun gave enough light even through the hotel curtains to see the suitcase and belongings spread out on the other side of the bed. Logan grinned fondly and made his way around to gather them and move them to the floor, thinking he could nap beside her until she was a little more rested; the wedding wasn't until the next day, they'd have plenty of time to talk and make up once she woke before he had to make it back for the rehearsal dinner that evening.

Those happy thoughts kept him distracted as he moved aside a hairbrush, jacket, and crumpled pair of leggings - most likely from the plane ride - before his eyes moved to the suitcase itself and he froze in place.

PREGNANCY VERIFICATION FORM

NAME OF PATIENT: Lorelai Leigh Gilmore

DATE OF BIRTH: October 8, 1984

ESTIMATED CONCEPTION DATE: September 30, 2017

EXPECTED DELIVERY DATE: July 14, 2018

AGE OF TO-BE MOTHER: 33

MEDICAL CONDITION OF TO-BE MOTHER: Overall health good, slightly high blood sugar

NO. OF FETUSES: 1

MEDICAL CONDITION OF FETUS: Normal development

Logan just kept staring down at the paper, as though hoping it was all a joke. It went on to detail the doctor's recommendations for regulating her blood sugar levels as well as the date for the next prenatal appointment. The letterhead was from a well-known clinic in Hartford, and the form was signed. Logan clutched the paper harshly, crumpling it slightly in his fist, and looked around the room almost desperate for some sign that this was all some elaborate hoax, perhaps a final pre-nuptial laugh courtesy of Colin, Finn, and Robert who had all flown in to London to be groomsmen at the wedding. Instead, his gaze landed on the baby book which had been hidden beneath the medical form he now held in his hand. Logan stared at the book for a tense minute, then turned and left the room as silently as he had arrived, stopping only to grab his shoes on the way past, and taking the verification form with him.

Chapter Three

Rory was woken abruptly by harsh pounding on her door. She blinked slowly around the hotel room, still slightly disoriented in her sleepy state. The pounding started up again a minute later, however, even louder this time, and she hastily pulled herself off the bed, slipping on the jacket that lay beside her to hide the fact that she had taken off her bra to sleep, and quickly pulling her hair back into a messy pony tail. Her thoughts were still moving sluggishly, though she could only think that it would be Logan at the door - though why he felt the need to near break it down in his efforts to get in she couldn't say. She opened her mouth to ask just that as she flipped the lock and swung the door open, but the words caught in her throat as she came face to face with a particularly stone-faced Mitchum Huntzberger.

Mitchum didn't wait for Rory to gather her thoughts, instead pushing roughly past her, pulling the door shut sharply behind him. He stood in the middle of the room for a minute, the silence stretching out around them as he surveyed the space without comment, and then her pulled two sheets of paper from within the folder he held tucked under his arm and held them out towards her, forcing her to walk to him in order to reach them. Rory took the papers slowly, her eyes darting over his face as though there might be clues hidden there, but not surprisingly he gave nothing away but his displeasure at being there, and that was hardly a surprise. Sighing, Rory looked down and began reading.

With each sentence Rory's chest tightened and her throat felt as though it was closing up, making breathing nearly impossible. It was a contract - well, two copies of a contract - regarding the baby. More specifically, Logan's responsibilities, or lack thereof, towards the baby.

"What is this?" Rory demanded angrily after she had read through the contract in its entirety and glanced at the second to page only to find an identical document. "This makes it sound like Logan's baby-"

"There is no 'Logan's baby' Rory. Don't be obtuse, we both know you have the intelligence to understand the situation. Logan is getting married, tomorrow in fact. It is a match which will benefit both families involved, an excellent business deal, and you and the bastard you're carrying will not mess it up." Rory gasped sharply at the harsh verbal attack, but Mitchum didn't so much as pause in his speech. "You chose to have this affair, you knew Logan was engaged, and you are smart enough to have understood the risks. If you are having a hard time dealing with the consequences of your decisions, well frankly that's not my concern, and nor will it be Logan's concern. That baby is no Huntzberger, and you are going to sign that contract preventing you from claiming it as such. It can take your name, or you can find some other man to give it his name, but the only Huntzberger children will be those that Logan and Odette have together. Logan's name will not be put on any birth certificate, or any other forms of identification. If you need to be paid off we'll negotiate a one-time payment, and then you will forfeit any rights to future child support payments, I won't have record of regular payments threatening to expose Logan's indiscretion, threatening my family's reputation!"

Rory could only gape at the man as his livid rant came to an end, her expression the very image of incredulity.

"W-what… why on earth would you think I would agree to something like this?!" She finally snapped, anger overcoming her fear for the first time since Mitchum's arrival, and allowing her to straighten her shoulders and glare at the man. Rather than bluster and gripe at her refusal, however, Mitchum fixed her with a slow, disdainful smirk, and Rory's heart sank even without knowing what it meant.

"That's quite simple, Miss Gilmore. As I said, you chose this affair. I know, as I've known since you first reconnected with Logan almost three years ago. Did you really think I wouldn't be having my son watched, given all the trouble he caused me in his youth? That stunt he pulled when he quit and went to work in California? It took me years to make him see sense and come back to the family company, and I wasn't about to let him screw his life up again. So when my private investigator told me about you, you can imagine my frustration. But fine, he needed a hook up to relive his college days, then fine. But you just wouldn't stay away. So, I had to get involved. I would have thought when such a sure job offer in journalism mysteriously fell through without explanation just after you and my son started this affair, you would have connected the dots and backed off. Obviously, you aren't quite as intelligent as others give you credit for."

Rory was in shock at this point, standing motionlessly and just staring at the man in front of her as he crassly ripped apart everything she thought she understood about her life for the past several years.

"Now back then I was reasonable, I left alone those job offers and opportunities that kept you away from Logan, and I figured once Odette entered the picture, high-and-mighty Gilmore would refuse to settle for being the 'other woman' and that would be the end of things. But still you stayed! Oh how I wished I could rub it in Richard and Emily's faces after all those years of their holier-than-thou attitudes - their granddaughter was nothing more than a cheap slut. Regardless, I stepped up my game. My connections are vast in the journalism business, my word powerful, and though it took some effort I managed to have you discreetly black-listed throughout most of the business. It didn't work in keeping you away from Logan, in the end, but I won't deny a certain sense of enjoyment from systematically destroying your career."

Rory was blinking back tears now. She couldn't imagine anything worse in that moment than letting Mitchum Huntzberger see her reduced to tears, but she wasn't honestly sure she could stop it. She had to force herself to stay focused, however, as Mitchum was still speaking.

"...Which brings us to now. You will sign that contract, because if you insist on making this baby a Huntzberger, than you better believe it'll be raised a proper Huntzberger, something you obviously wouldn't be capable of doing. You haven't had steady employment for years, I understand you've gone through most of the meager savings you managed to set aside after college by paying for airfare all over looking for work and coming to spread your legs for my son, a man who you engaged in a long-term affair with despite knowing he was pledged to wed another woman. You don't even have a full-time address. Getting Logan full custody would be child's play for the Huntzberger legal team, and lord knows any lawyer you could scrounge up wouldn't hold a candle to them - I think the yacht incident was evidence of that. So here's the deal; you sign that contract, and you have it back to my London office by the end of the day, or my lawyers begin work on their new assignment in the morning." And without another word, Mitchum waltzed out of the room, uncaringly leaving the door wide open in his wake.

Rory stumbled over to close the door, sliding the lock in place with trembling hands as tears slid down her cheeks. How had she ended up in this situation? How had she been so blind and stupid that she never even guessed that Mitchum had been interfering with her career?

How had he known about the pregnancy so quickly? How had he known where to find her, when the only person she had told was…

Logan.

Chapter Four

Rory kept her head down and the hood on her jacket pulled as low as possible over her face. Her arms were wrapped protectively around her middle, and she shifted nervously from foot to foot while she waited. Logan hadn't said anything more over the intercom after she gave him her name. Several minutes had passed now without being buzzed in or otherwise contacted, and she was just about to try again when the front door was yanked open and Logan pulled her quickly into the building. She was practically frog-marched up to the apartment while Logan's eyes darted around them wearily, no doubt trying to make sure that Rory wasn't seen and recognized. As soon as the front door closed behind them, Logan swirled around to face her and angrily demanded,

"What are you doing here Rory?" She noted absently that he was no longer calling her 'Ace,' but truly she had bigger concerns at the moment.

"How did you find out I was pregnant? When? I only knew myself for certain yesterday morning, and I was on a plane to London by the end of the day. And why, _why_ would you tell _Mitchum?_ Why would you tell him without even talking to me?!"

"Right, you just found out you were pregnant and your first thought was to jump on a plane and fly out here to tell me you were having my baby, the day before I was marrying Odette?" The venom in his voice actually had Rory recoiling for a moment, but she shook herself out of the shock and forced herself to keep talking.

"Yes. You're the father, you had the right to know."

"Oh come on, Rory! You're not that naive, no matter what others might think. Did Lorelai put you up to this?"

"Mom doesn't even know I'm pregnant!" She snapped in response, and took pleasure in the startled look that produced, even if it was covered up again a moment later.

"Sure, assuming I even believe that-"

"I'm not lieing!"

"-it doesn't even matter. The point is you gave me an ultimatum in New Hampshire and I didn't leave my fiancée for you, so you had to come up with some other way to force me back into a relationship, and-!"

"Ultimatum?! Are you completely delusional?!" Rory had been upset before, but she suddenly found herself furious with the man in front of her. "I never asked you to leave Odette, I'm not asking you to do that now. I walked away from our arrangement after New Hampshire because I deserve better than being the other woman, I deserve better than being your dirty little secret!"

"You can't blame that on me, this whole arrangement was your idea, your stupid Vegas rules, and-"

"I'm not blaming it on you!" Taking a shuddering breath, Rory visibly reeled herself back in, continuing in a much steadier volume. "I'm not blaming you for anything, Logan. My decisions and my feelings were my own, but you're getting married, and I deserve a life of my own, too. I said goodbye to you in New Hampshire and I meant it; I never intended to seek you out again. But the b-baby… I couldn't do what my mom did to my dad, I couldn't shut you out without even consulting you."

Logan was silent this time, and when he didn't respond after several moments, Rory pulled the contract out of her purse and unfolded it, holding it out to Logan. He glanced at it, but didn't take it. Had Rory been a little less focused on finding the right words for what to say next, she may have noticed that Logan didn't look the least bit curious about the document, almost as if he had seen it before.

"Logan, I know this was shock - believe me, it was the last thing I was expecting. But I don't understand why you would go to Mitchum. You know better than to trust him; he went behind your back, he threatened to force the baby away from me if I didn't go along with him."

"You think he's going behind my back? Didn't look so closely at that paper in your hand then, did you? I've already signed it!" Logan snapped back, his anger getting the better of him, his pride hurt by Rory's assumption that he would be so easy to manipulate. Rory, for her part, didn't want to believe that was true, but found herself unable to keep her eyes from drifting down to the bottom of the contract. And right there at the bottom was an unmistakable signature. The hurt that followed was overwhelming, and it was all Rory could do to try to bury it under anger until she could get out of there and finally allow herself to break down. Logan, no doubt having seen the unmistakable pain cross her face, turned away from her.

"You always wanted to prove that you were better man than your father," Rory shouted, all control slipping away. "And you must have really had me fooled because I believed you! I believed _in_ you! But I was wrong. You're both the same, just a couple of rich bullies with no sense of honor, using everyone around you for your own personal gain and-!"

Logan suddenly spun to face her, hand raised, not sure himself if he would follow through and slap her even as absolutely furious as he was in that moment. Unfortunately for both of them, Rory had been slowly advancing on him as she continued to shout, and the knuckles on the back Logan's raised hand connected with her left eye and the side of her nose with a resounding _crack!_

"God, Rory!" His shock and regret were instant, but Rory hardly noticed. Her hand had flown up to hover gently over the throbbing mark, a small cry of surprise and pain escaping without her permission. Logan tried to step forward, hand held out as though to inspect for damage, but Rory instinctively scrambled backwards, good eye widening in fear and nearly stumbling over some unseen obstacle because she refused to look away from Logan for even a moment. They stood facing each other in silence for what felt like ages, until Rory suddenly darted to the little table by the door, found a pen, and (while still keeping half an eye on Logan) quickly signed the contract.

Logan watched her sadly, his hands clenching and unclenching either to hold himself back from reaching for her again or in disbelief that he had actually struck her.

"Don't ever come near me again," Rory said flatly, a ring of finality in her tone despite the way her voice hitched over her held back tears. Without another moment of hesitation she ran from the apartment, phone out and cab company contacted before she even made it back down to the lobby.

GgGgGgGgGg

Robert Pierson, once known to the Gilmore Girls as Robert Grimaldi, was watching the London streets pass by his cab window without much interest. While his family didn't have quite the sort of money that the Morgan, Huntzberger, or even McCray families held, he had still grown up in privilege, and as such had had many opportunities throughout his young life to travel abroad. While grateful for his experiences, it did take a bit of the magic out of mundane moments such as these, making his way across the city to Logan's apartment so that he had some way to pass the day before the rehearsal dinner for the wedding party that evening.

Because of this, Robert nearly missed seeing a very familiar head of brown hair disappearing into the back of another taxi. Almost.

"Why, Rory Gilmore, as I live and breathe!" He mused happily to himself. He craned his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the license plate, but his own car was caught behind a red light and Rory's cab was quickly swallowed up into London traffic. Drumming his fingers on the seat beside him as he contemplated the situation, Robert quickly found himself swiping into his phone and pressing Finn's contact.

"Good morning, darling. How do you feel about a treasure hunt?" He greeted the sleepy Aussie happily, switching between giving new directions to his cab driver and coming up with a game plan with Finn to hunt down the elusive Miss Gilmore and convince her that she couldn't possibly go on in life with three such friends as he, Colin, and Finn.

Chapter Five

Colin McCray smiled widely as he spotted a slender brunette tucked into a corner booth at the airport coffeeshop. There was a small piece of luggage tucked under the table and a large cup of what could only be coffee on top of the table, but all of Rory Gilmore's attention was focused on the book she was holding close to her face. Colin shook his head fondly and quietly made his way over to her. He knew he should probably text the others and let them know he had found her, but it could wait a few minutes; he was secretly glad he'd have a little time with Rory all to himself. Maybe this time he could actually work up the courage to ask for advice on his current identity crisis. There hadn't been time during their New Hampshire adventure, and he knew that 'Mother' Rory was likely the only one of his friends he could trust with something like this.

"Hey there, Reporter Girl!" Colin greeted cheerfully as he finally came up behind her at her booth, peering over her shoulder for a peek at what she was reading this time. He wasn't honestly sure which one of them ended up more startled: Rory, who jumped in her seat, gasped, and tried desperately to slam the book shut and slide it under one of her legs on the bench, or Colin himself, who not only _did_ notice the title of the book ("What to Expect: The First Year") but was also startled to find her eyes hidden behind large, dark sunglasses, despite sitting inside in a dimly lit dining area.

"Colin! Why- How- W-what are you doing here?!" By now, Colin's excited grin had dimmed all the way down to a small, serious frown. He noticed Rory's slight flinch as he crowded onto the bench next to her, pausing to frown further in concern before very slowly and carefully reaching over her to pluck the book from its hiding place and lay it on the table, making sure to let her clearly see each move he made.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he said neutrally. "Now, however, I might have a few more pressing questions." He tapped the cover of the book meaningful, still feeling rather overwhelmed at the image of the diaper-clad infant on the cover, and the implications of it being there.

"There's nothing to talk about," Rory said quickly, and Colin rolled his eyes.

"Rory."

"Colin."

" _Rory_."

"Colin don't do this, okay? Please. I'm just waiting for my plane, and then I'll be gone. You shouldn't even be here. Why are you here? Never mind, it… it's none of my business. You know what I'll go, okay? That'll be fine, I'll just…" Colin gently pushed her back down onto the bench and then lay a hand over where she was wringing her own hands together agitatedly. He'd seen her rant and babble and bolt back in Yale, of course, they all had - usually when their teasing was especially on point or when Finn got drunk enough to revert to his nudist tendencies. This, though, was something else. There was an undercurrent of genuine fear in her reactions, and she seemed smaller than normal, an air of despair or defeat around her.

When she continued to sit silently staring down at their hands rather than talk to him, Colin reached up with his spare hand to pluck the ridiculous sunglasses off of her face. There was a hangover joke on the tip of his tongue, but it died the second he saw the swollen, purple skin under one of her eyes. She squeaked, and snatched the glasses back from his limp fingers to shove back on her face, but he knew what he had seen and the metaphorical two and two were adding together in his mind to equal a horrifying four. Colin whipped out his phone and hit the number on speed dial almost before giving the action any conscious thought.

"Finn, call Robert. Grab what you need for a flight back to the states and both of you meet us at the Heathrow Starbucks near international departures." He hung up without listening to whatever Finn's response was and shoved the phone back in his pocket before he could give into temptation and call Logan, demanding an explanation.

"Colin, please don't… whatever this is, just, please…" Rory Gilmore, girl of golden tongue and pen, was at a loss for words for the first time in Colin's memory. He reached out for her hand once more, holding it almost delicately in his own and squeezing it gently for a moment as he gathered his thoughts.

"You're my friend Rory. Our friend. When Robert caught sight of you outside of Logan's apartment we started scouring the city for you, so we could tell you that we weren't going to let you just say goodbye and step back out of our lives. Now I'm going to make this simple; I'm going to ask three little questions and if you can honestly answer them with a 'no,' I'll make sure that after Finn and Robert get to see you we'll let you get on that plane and leave us again. Deal?" He made sure she was listening, but when he saw her open her mouth, no doubt to argue with him, he rushed ahead. "Excellent, so here are your questions: Are you pregnant? Did Logan hit you? Do you still want us to be your friends?"

Colin knew he was being heavy-handed, he knew there were probably gentler ways to broach these topics, but the last few years of working as an attorney for his family's practice had taught him how to force out a quick confession, even if he was still perhaps a bit lacking in the compassion department. He didn't press any further, didn't say another word as they sat in strained silence after his questions, Rory's hand rigid and trembling slightly in his own as she sat perfectly still staring down at the table.

They were still sitting just like that forty minutes later when an uncharacteristically subdued Finn and Robert walked briskly into the Starbucks and made their way over to slide into the other side of the booth. Robert carried a small duffle with him, and looked equal parts concerned and uncomfortable as his eyes flickered between Rory's hunched form and Colin's somber demeanor. Finn appeared not to have bothered grabbing anything that couldn't fit into his own pockets, and he had eyes only for Rory, his expression one hundred percent serious and focused for once in his life.

Colin waited a minute, all of them sitting in silence while he gave Rory the opportunity to start this conversation. When it became clear that wasn't going to happen, Colin sighed and once again reached slowly over her to pick up the book, setting it meaningfully down in the center of the table before reaching up to remove the sunglasses, Rory resisting only a few moments before her hands dropped down to her lap and her shoulders slumped, visibly signalling that she had given up. Colin paused, almost talking himself out of forcing the issue in sight of her pain, but he knew it was necessary. As gently as he could, he lifted the glasses off of her and folded them before placing them on the table next to the book, drawing out the action to buy himself a few moments to control the renewed anger he felt at seeing the evidence of violence on Rory's face.

He heard as Robert inhaled sharply, the breath nearly whistling as it was sucked in harshly between his teeth. At the same time, he watched Finn rear back in his seat, the shock of the situation leaving even the witty Aussie at a loss for words.

Finally, Rory raised her head to look first at Colin, then Robert, and finally sliding her eyes over to Meet Finn's. Their gazes held together unblinking, and Colin observed with interest the most tender, sorrowful expression he had ever seen from his Australian friend. Whatever that look meant, it was the straw that finally broke the camel's back. With a broken sob, Rory tearfully confessed, "I don't know what to do," and then finally loosened her iron-clad hold on her emotions and began to cry.

Chapter Six

Finn looked down at the young woman pressed against his shoulder on the plane. Even in sleep, there was a wrinkle between her eyes and a slight downward turn at the corner of her lips, giving away her stress.

He had been in shock through most of the discussion in the airport. If he was being honest with himself, he was still mostly in shock now, but at least he had been able to fake a smile and crack a few weak jokes for Rory's sake after the others had left them to board their plane. It had only taken flashing a little extra cash to get them moved to a pair of seats together after Finn bought a last minute ticket for Rory's flight.

The pregnancy alone had been startling news. And though Finn new Logan well enough to have predicted he wouldn't handle such an announcement well, never would he have imagined that the man would allow his temper to take over to the point of actually hitting a woman. Sure Rory had been quick to point out that Logan had tried to apologize immediately, and that she couldn't even be sure it was entirely intentional, but Finn - nor Robert or Colin - had not been appeased.

In its own way, Logan going to his father and actually signing that cowardly, spiteful excuse for a contract was an even lower blow. The four friends may have grown up throwing their money around fast and loose, but always for entertainment. He never would have thought he'd see Logan abusing the power of his wealth to bully and threaten an innocent person, much less a long-time friend (and for Logan, a lover).

The fact that 'Führer Huntzberger' had such a contract on hand, even the fact that he had been systematically destroying Rory's career from the shadows, was unfortunately rather easy to believe.

At first, all three men had wanted to fly back with Rory. They had leapt unexpectedly into protective-mode, and were determined to see her well taken care of. Rory, being Rory, had tried arguing that she couldn't keep them away from Logan's wedding, that they were his best friends and meant to stand as groomsmen. It had taken far longer than Finn liked for them to argue that her friendship was equally as important to them, and especially when Logan was at fault for the situation. Even when she finally stopped arguing it seemed more from exhaustion over the debate than any real belief in their words, and it worried Finn. Where was their fiery Reporter Girl, confident in her worth and abilities and never willing to let others treat her as lower than themselves?

In the end, Colin and Robert had returned to the city, though Colin was quite adamant that he would not be attending the wedding, much less standing for Logan. Instead, Colin was going to contact a partner from his family's law firm who could help him write up a secondary contract to present to the Huntzbergers. They couldn't undo what Rory had already signed, but they could at least try to get her, and the baby, some level of protection from future Huntzberger drama.

Robert, on the other hand, was returning - albeit reluctantly - for the ceremony. He wasn't any happier with Logan than the others were, but he had always been closer to his family than his friends were to their own, and appearances were so important to his parents. They were at the wedding, and it was common knowledge in their circles that Robert would stand as groomsman to the Huntzberger heir; Robert would simply have to set his personal feelings aside until after the wedding, to avoid any sort of scandal for his family. Besides, Robert's family's money was in insurance, and his grandfather had been good friends with Richard Gilmore. He didn't want any family tension harming his chances of gaining his grandfather as a social ally for when news of Rory's pregnancy came out, as it inevitably would. He hoped to convince his grandfather to subtly defend and champion Richard's granddaughter from the gossip-mongers of high society when her condition became public knowledge.

That left Finn. Even though he knew that his friends were disappointed in and angry with Logan, he couldn't help but shake the feeling that his own fury dwarfed that of Colin and Robert's. Rory had spent years in Yale looking out for them and encouraging them despite their habitual screw-ups. Now that she was the one struggling with the fall-out of a series of mistakes and was at her most vulnerable, Logan should have made it a priority to look out for her. Never mind that the pregnancy was just as much his responsibility as it was hers.

Rory's forehead creased in distress, and she curled even more into herself in her sleep. Finn immediately maneuvered his arm around her shoulders so that he could pull her more firmly against his side, his hand playing absently with the ends of her hair and watching her face until it smoothed out into a more relaxed expression. How long had she been running on fumes and desperate hope while Mitchum pulled strings in the background to keep her career stuck to the ground? Finn hadn't seen her like this since she temporarily dropped out of Yale, and from what he had pieced together over the years, the blame for that meltdown could ultimately be laid at the feet of the Huntzberger family as well.

"We'll keep them away from you, love," he whispered to the woman in his arms. "Colin and Robert and I, we'll be at your side every step of the way. I promise."

Chapter Seven

Colin strode purposefully through the hallways of the grand Parisian hotel that would play host to the extravagant wedding of the Huntzberger heir in just a couple of hours. He had taken a picture on his phone of Rory's contract before leaving the airport the day before, and had been up all night spending nearly every hour since crafting a counter-contract of sorts. It may be tacky to take the contract to Logan now, right before his wedding, but Colin wasn't willing to risk waiting around and allowing Mitchum the chance to manipulate Rory's life any more than he already had. And to be honest, a little tackiness was the least of what Logan deserved for how he had treated Reporter Girl.

"Colin! Man, about time, where have you guys been?!" Colin stiffened at the sound of Logan's voice coming down the hall behind him, though judging by the arm that was slung casually around his shoulders and the way Logan continued on cheerfully without pause as he steered them into a conference-turned-changing room for the groomsmen, Colin assumed Logan hadn't noticed. "Robert just got here, I was just on my way down there now, and I still haven't heard from Finn. You three have been missing in action all day, and mom was beside herself when you messaged to say you wouldn't be at the rehearsal dinner last night. Should I be worried about what kind of mischief you gentlemen have been up to on this, the day of my wedding?" Logan finally turned to face Colin, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, but his smile faltered in the face of Colin's cool, blank look.

Colin studied the other man as Logan grew visibly more uncomfortable and confused. Not just anyone looking at Logan would be able to pick up the signs, but Colin knew him well enough to see that he hadn't slept well, if at all, the night before. Colin hoped that it meant that his old friend was questioning his actions of the previous day, that it meant the Logan he loved and respected was still in there somewhere, but even if so, it wouldn't change what he came there to do.

"Colin? Man, what's wrong? And why aren't you wearing your suit for the wedding?" A small part of Colin wanted to comfort his friend as Logan became serious and quiet in the face of some unknown crisis, but he brought up the memory of Rory's injured face, of her sobbing against his shoulder as they sat in an airport coffee shop and she told them what Logan and his father had done, and he buried that small sympathetic part of himself.

"I won't be participating in the wedding. Frankly, Logan, I'm having a really hard time even speaking to you right now." He watched as the blonde's expression went from shock, to anger, to a strange mixture of apprehension and confusion. "I'm here in an official capacity as Rory's lawyer."

And there, that flash of stark fear, regret, and anger that shone through before Logan stepped back, schooling his features into one of stony resolve that mirrored Mitchum alarmingly… that single flash of emotion erased any minor lingering doubts in Rory's version of events. To one of Logan's oldest friends, that flash was as good as a signed confession. Colin couldn't help but sigh in disappointment, but he was on a mission, and he dutifully opened his briefcase and pulled out the contract he had spent all night re-working over and over again with the help of one of the senior partners in his family's firm.

"What is this?!" Logan snapped, his eyes flying rapidly over the legal document in his hands.

"A legal release of parental rights to Rory's baby in exchange for a mutual non-disclosure agreement. I've no doubt you can decipher the legal jargon on your own, but basically it says that you sign away any rights to the child now or in the future, and both you and Rory agree not to take your affair or the circumstances of the pregnancy public." Colin was proud of himself for saying all of that so calmly even as Logan stared back at him with a look of deep betrayal. They both glanced at the door when Robert slipped inside, shutting the door tightly behind him. From the blank expression on the man's face, Colin thought there was no doubt that Logan too had realized Robert must have overheard at least part of their conversation. From the lack of reaction, the blonde must be connecting the dots and realizing just why he couldn't reach any of his friends since the previous morning.

"So you're trying to steal my kid from me?" Logan demanded, and Colin actually had to clench his fists and grit his teeth to keep from taking a swing at his friend, watching him try to play himself as the victim.

"Your kid?! You lost all rights to that baby when signed that despicable piece of blackmail yesterday and sent your _father_ to give it to Rory and force her hand. You didn't even give her a chance tell you about the pregnancy herself, much less talk about it!"

"Don't. Just, stop. Alright? You don't get to judge me here Colin, you don't know what this is like for me. She walked out on me, okay? Three weeks ago, in New Hampshire. She ended things, her choice. Remember?"

"There was nothing to walk out on! You're getting married Logan - and not to Rory! _Rory_ , the one who gave you her heart, who took you back after you slept with half your sisters' friends, who stayed loyal through all the shit Mitchum and your family put her through, and you moving halfway across the world. _This. Is. Rory_ we're talking about here."

"I KNOW! Damnit, I know. But I asked her to marry me, and she turned me down. She knew I was going to marry Odette now, she never once asked me not to. You don't get to paint me the bad guy when she knew exactly what she was getting herself into."

"This isn't about the stupid affair, she ended that, you were both idiots who both got hurt! This is about you and your father threatening to take her fucking baby from her and denying her any sort of support, all to protect yourself!"

"If she thought she could get herself pregnant and then use it to manipulate-"

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO YOURSELF?!" This time Colin did pull his arm back with every intention of throwing a punch, but before he had the chance a large hand wrapped around his forearm and tugged him sharply away from Logan. Colin looked up to find Robert frowning at him and shaking his head, waiting until Colin had calmed himself at least slightly before releasing him. Robert stayed between the two other men, however, not willing to take any chances. He turned to face Logan, and the frown deepened.

"Not only do you know perfectly well that Rory wouldn't do something like that, it wouldn't be an excuse even if she had. It takes two people to create a baby, and you owed it to her and that child to step up and take your half of the responsibility. It's too late for that now, obviously. You signed that contract, and Rory's on her own." Robert's tone was intense, but he never once raised his voice, and his demeanor was that of a deeply disappointed mentor.

"I panicked, okay?" For the first time in their conversation, Logan let go of his façade and allowed them to clearly see his confusion and frustration, though whether that frustration was with himself or the situation, Colin couldn't say. "I saw the form from her doctor saying she was pregnant, and I couldn't face her. I was going to come back here and talk to all of you about it, but by the time I made it to the hotel, I had gotten myself all worked up about all the ways a baby with Rory would mess things up in my life, and I just… I don't know, I panicked okay?!"

"So you went to _Mitchum?_ " Colin pressed incredulously. It didn't get through to Logan as he had hoped though, instead just putting his friend back on the defensive.

"Yeah, I was facing a huge problem in my life, so I turned to my father for help. Maybe there were other ways of dealing with things, but this is the one we chose, and frankly, I don't know why this is suddenly your business. You're _my_ friends, remember?"

"My friends don't hit women," Robert answered without pause. His iron control over his face and voice hadn't faltered, but when Colin glanced at him, he was almost awed by the stark fury that shone in his eyes. Stepping forward so he was shoulder-to-shoulder with the man, Colin added his own opinion.

"My friends don't give women black eyes." This time the regret was sharp and clear on Logan's face. Colin was thankful for at least that much, but right now he wouldn't be able to even begin contemplating rebuilding the bridges that Logan had torn down in their friendship over the past two days. Colin sighed tiredly and rubbed his eyes, the sleepless night, not to mention the emotional roller-coaster of the past 24 hours, fully making themselves known on his mind and body.

"Look, Logan. This contract is for both of your protection. You've already made Rory sign away any right to look to you as the father of her baby. Frankly, you owe it to her to sign your own guarantee that you won't come around sometime down the line and try to muscle your way back into their lives on a whim. The non-disclosure section protects you and your family from scandal, and it allows her to give whatever story - granted it doesn't involve you - to explain her pregnancy. Quite honestly I don't understand why you're putting up such a fight, but I'll make this simple. You can sign this now and be done with it, or I will come at you with the full force of my family's legal power and expertise behind me until I see it done. There's maybe a small chance I won't win, maybe, but we both know that at the very least your secret love-child won't be at all secret anymore."

The two of them held eye contact and stared each other down for several long minutes. Finally, Logan turned his head to the side and held out his hand. Colin gave him one more searching look before finally handing over a pen and watching Logan sign the contract swiftly. He handed the papers and pen back, still without a word, and Colin pulled an unsigned copy of the contract from his briefcase in return.

"That's your copy, for your records," he mumbled, suddenly feeling both awkward and unbelievably sad by the whole situation. Logan folded it into eighths without a word then stuck it in the back of his wallet, no doubt unwilling to leave it sitting out during the wedding where someone could see it and get word back to Odette. Colin waited another minute to see if Logan would say anything else, then sighed, picked up his briefcase, and turned to walk away. He made it all the way to the door before he was called back.

"Colin, where's Finn?" Colin looked over his shoulder, his mask now as blank as Logan's.

"I'd imagine his plane would be landing in Connecticut right about now," he answered blandly. He saw the spark of recognition in the blonde's eyes as he must have connected the destination to Rory, but Colin wasn't going to wait around to answer any more questions. "Robert, call me when you're done here, I'll go pack both our things and have a car and plane tickets waiting for us." He waited just long enough to receive a nod in return, and then he left, looking forward to napping through the wedding so that he could escape the reality of his life for just a couple of hours.

Chapter Eight

Rory wasn't sure how he managed it - and _was_ sure she didn't _want_ to know how he managed it - but Finn had commandeered them one of each meal option from first class on the ride back to Connecticut - despite their very non-first-class seats - and flat out refused to eat anything until she had had her fill from whichever bits of the meals sounded good to her. He was being gentler with her than normal, certainly more protective with the pushing meals on her and bothering her to stop writing and making lists until she slept on the plane. She would have thought she'd find the behavior smothering, at the very least irritating, but he was just so 'Finn' about it. He still flirted shamelessly, still regaled her of tales of his many wayward adventures, and still challenged her in their many friendly debates. He was protective, yes, but she never for a moment doubted that he respected her and viewed her as a fully capable, independent adult.

"Care to share with the class, love?" Rory was pulled from her silent musings by Finn's lilting inquiry. She had been watching the ground get closer and closer as they prepared for their descent into Bradley International Airport.

"I don't know what happens now," she admitted, frowning as her worries seemed all the more real hearing them stated aloud. "I don't know how to tell my mom I'm pregnant, and she and Luke are getting married - God, tomorrow! - so do I tell her now so she doesn't feel like I hid it from her, or do I wait so I don't distract her from her special day? And if mom knows then I have to tell Luke, because things fell apart for them when Luke found out about his daughter and didn't tell her, I can't ask her to find out about a g-grandkid and not tell him!" Rory stumbled over the word, even as she worked herself up to full on panicked rant. "And then grandma, oh God! And where am I going to live? I can't fit in my room at mom's house with all my own stuff as it is, much less adding a baby and its stuff, and- ohmygod I don't know how to have a baby, I don't know the first thing about babies! Sookie and Lane and even Paris, they had the babies and did the mom thing, I just kind of avoided them until they were bigger and less wrinkly and more, I don't know, sturdy! Babies are so breakable, oh God, what if I break my baby?! What if-!"

Finn tried to give Rory a chance to work herself down on her own, but he had finally heard enough and reached out to squeeze both her shoulders, his grip gentle but firm and his face right in front of hers to force her to meet his eyes.

"Come on Rory love, take a breath. That's it kitten, keep breathing. We'll figure out all those questions, but let's take them one at a time, yeah? Us little folk can't be expected to keep up with that big beautiful brain of yours when you run full speed ahead like that." He smiled gently and began to massage her shoulders almost automatically as his calm tone and light teasing seemed to be getting through to her.

"We?" Rory asked shakily, and Finn had to fight to keep his expression neutral at how vulnerable and hesitant she looked.

"But of course love! That's why I'm here, and after Robert and Colin take care of their little errands in London, they're going to join us, and all of us together are going to figure out what's next so that you're all taken care of." He wasn't exactly surprised when Rory frowned and put a hand on his chest to gently push him away.

"You guys don't need to do that, this isn't your problem, you're not obligated…" Finn captured the hand on his chest with one of his own, wrapping their fingers together over his heartbeat and using his other hand to press a single finger softly to her lips to get her to stop talking.

"We want to help Rory. We care about you, and the future little Life-and-Death-er you're growing in there. You are strong and smart and resourceful, and I have no doubts that you could face all of this on your own if you had to, but you shouldn't have to love, you _don't_ have to. We miss our Reporter Girl, we didn't realize how much until we had you back a few weeks ago, but we all talked after that, and we had planned on finding some way to reach out to you after the wedding anyway." He waited a moment until Rory glanced up and met his eyes once more. "Please don't push us away."

GgGgGgGgGg

Rory sat next to her mother in the Stars Hollow gazebo the next day, soaking in the glow and contentment that Lorelai so badly deserved. It had been a long night, what with her mom and Luke's impromptu sort-of elopement, but she had never seen her mother happier, and she only hoped that what she was about to tell her didn't ruin it.

Finn had been reluctant to send her back to Stars Hollow on her own after their plane landed, and he definitely hesitated when she assured him that the bus was just fine and she certainly didn't need a car and driver to get home, but he hadn't pushed and Rory was grateful. He understood that telling her mother was one of those things she really _did_ need to do on her own, and that the small-town wedding wasn't the appropriate time to properly introduce the Life and Death Brigade boys to Stars Hollow. He had insisted on a compromise, however, and Finn, Colin, and Robert (the latter two having flown back as soon as Logan's wedding was over) would be coming to spend the day with her tomorrow and get the grand tour of the town. Rory knew that would only be part of it, and that the three of them would want to revisit that "what's next" conversation with her, and she was determined to share the news with Lorelai, first.

"I want to remember it all," Rory found herself saying, memories of her own childhood, of being raised by this wonderful, quirky town swirling around her mind. "Every detail." Rory felt her nerves rising and she knew that this was it, this was the moment. She turned to Lorelai, her heart racing. "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm pregnant."

~ End of Part One ~


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Nine

Colin lounged broodily in the car's passenger seat as Finn drove the trio towards Stars Hollow. His Aussie friend appeared to be his usual jovial, joke-cracking self, but he had picked Colin and Robert up that morning bright-eyed and with no signs of hangover symptoms, so Colin knew he wasn't the only one entirely focused on Rory's situation.

"...just can't believe you both abandoned me to that circus on my own! Oh, the betrayal!" Colin rolled his eyes and glanced back at Robert through the rear-view mirror. He was sprawled out across the entirety of the back seat, and from the sounds of things was launching into his third overly dramatic re-telling of Logan's wedding.

Apparently, Honor's husband Josh had taken one of the groomsmen suits and stood with Robert, so that both Honor and Odette's best friend could stay in the wedding party. Odette's cousin, who was supposed to be the third bridesmaid, was told she had to sit in the audience like everybody else so that the sides were balanced and still looked intentional. Logan had pulled out his most charming facade for the day, and Robert said that he almost started wondering if the whole affair with Rory had been a dream, because even to him Logan appeared nothing less than hopelessly in love with his bride.

No doubt the worst part of all of it for Robert was the dinner afterwards. Not only did he have to stand and give a heart-warming speech for the groom, but he was seated directly next to Logan through all five courses. Logan split his time and attention between flirting with his blushing bride and whispering to Robert on his other side, trying desperately to explain himself and get information on Rory all while maintaining an expression of joy and peace that would make the wedding guests swoon.

Logan always had been quite the actor.

"Look alive, look alive gents!" Finn quipped, quite happy to interrupt Robert's back-seat drama as they drove into the town center of Stars Hollow. Rory had given them very specific parking instructions, and sure enough they pulled up to the street across from a house proclaiming "Kim's Antiques" to find Rory sitting on the curb grimacing down at a coffee cup, and obviously guarding the parking spot for them.

"Well hello there, beautiful!" "Darling, you look radiant!" "What on Earth did that poor coffee do to make you hate it so?!" Robert, Finn, and Colin all spoke over each other as they tumbled out of the car, successfully coaxing a small but warm smile from Rory.

"Hello, thank you, and it's decaf - I think if all health classes highlighted the fact that p-pregnancy means you lose caffeine, there would be a lot fewer pregnant teenagers in the world." It was a solid attempt at her usual brand of humor, but the shaky quality to her voice and the slight hesitation over the word 'pregnancy' weren't missed by any of the guys. Their Reporter Girl was scared, and none of them was quite sure how to fix it.

Chapter Ten

"I thought Logan said something about being hired to write a biography, some Snoppesire lady?" Robert asked, the current topic of conversation being Rory's career prospects.

It was getting late now, and the boys had commandeered a corner of Taylor's Old-Fashioned Soda Shop. They were probably all procrastinating more than anything at this point, even Rory hardly picking at her scoop of ice cream. They had stopped by the Dragonfly earlier, as part of Rory's tour of Stars Hollow, and despite Rory's half-hearted objections had booked rooms for the next few days. None of them planned on leaving until they were sure Rory had some semblance of a plan at the very least.

"Naomi Shropshire. But she pulled out. And since I had been working on the first few chapters 'on spec' to get her interested, there was no reimbursement for my time or travel up to that point. Hell, practically everything's been 'on spec' for nearly a year now," Rory continued, grabbing a napkin from the middle of the table and starting to twist it harshly between her hands. "It's the only reason Condé Nast gave me an assignment. They were putting me off and putting me off after they asked for that meeting, I should have realized then that something had spooked them. Well, someone… and then Mitchum offers to get a meeting to stick for me! God, I'm such an idiot, he must have had such a great laugh over that, stringing me along and getting me so excited when he had already made sure that I would never be getting a chance to write for GQ."

The boys looked on with worry as Rory worked herself up into a rant, talking louder and faster with every sentence. Robert tried to pull the now shredded napkin gently from her hands and Colin left his hand resting on the nape of her neck after brushing some loose strands from her face, but none of them knew what to say, or even if they _should_ say anything. Only Finn seemed somewhat calm, for while he was also watching Rory with concern, he kept his hands folded together on the table, and had an almost patient aura around him.

Rory was oblivious to all of it.

"...and of course it's so obvious now, looking back on it. I mean, a piece covering people waiting in lines in New York City? Lines! How could I not piece together that the company couldn't afford to offer me a legitimate piece. Though maybe I did realize it on some level, otherwise I still don't know what could ever have convinced me it was a good idea to sleep with a Wookiee!"

"Wait, what?" Apparently the Wookiee comment was finally too much for Colin to let pass. Watching Rory freeze and then turn to him with wide eyes, however, made it clear that she hadn't realized quite how far her rant had gone. With her face flushed a dark red and her eyes closed tight, Rory reluctantly mumbled a quick explanation of her one night stand. Despite their best efforts not to, the boys were all poorly fighting back grins when Rory finally braved peeking at their faces. The grins didn't last long, though.

"I know, I know," Rory whispered, hanging head with an expression of stark shame. "I'm a big fat wookiee-humping loser with no future." *

"Whoa, that is not even _close_ to what we were thinking! And most definitely not true!" Colin said firmly, the first of the three friends to recover from their shock at such a self-loathing statement.

"Kitten, I need you to look at me," Finn's voice cut in, uncharacteristically solemn. Almost against her will, Rory found herself looking up to meet his eyes. "I realize you've made some less than stellar choices these past few years, but unless there are some major secrets you're still hiding from us, the person those choices have hurt the most is _you_ love. And while I hate that, I'm certain it doesn't make you a bad person. And Rory Gilmore is not, nor has she ever been, any caliber of a loser," He ended decisively.

"But Paul, and Odette…"

"Odette has had her own affairs, Rory, and no doubt will continue to do so," Robert cut in firmly, though his expression gentled at the lost look Rory gave him in return. "I don't really care to imagine the reasons why Logan didn't just tell you that, he must have known you felt guilty about Odette, but they both knew the other wasn't faithful. Their marriage is a business merger, after all, not a love story. Affairs will be a regular part of their lives, no doubt there are even parameters written in to their pre-nup." Rory gaped at the matter-of-fact explanation, mouth opening and closing several times before she managed to wrap her mind around this new revelation. Then, anger and shame took over.

"Then why was Mitchum so hell-bent on destroying my life? Why me? Am I really so far below his precious family that I'm not even good enough to be the slutty mistress on the side?!" To her surprise, Colin was the first to respond - and with an amused snort no less. She would have felt hurt over it, if an explanation hadn't been so quick to follow.

"Hardly. Quite the opposite, really. Affairs are expected, but they are meant to be discreet, kept to the shadows; had with attractive but shallow women who are content to have their 'relationship' dictated entirely at the whim of Logan's schedule, and placated in between with sparkly gifts to keep them from getting any ideas of being 'needy' and reaching out on their own for his attention. You, however, would never be content with such an arrangement, and Mitchum knew it. You were a distraction to Logan. You encouraged him to be his own person, and thereby challenge Mitchum's absolute rule. You refused to be kept to the shadows, hidden from the public eye, and therefore you were a liability. And you, perhaps _only_ you of all the women Logan could pursue, had a real chance of tempting Logan to throw away all of Mitchum's carefully built plans just to be with you."

Rory could only stare at Colin for a long moment after that surprising tirade. Eventually she frowned and turned away, staring blankly into the distance while processing this brand new perspective on her time with Logan. It was Finn who eventually pulled her back to reality.

"I suppose you're the only one who can really decide if you hurt this Paul character, Rory, but be honest with yourself. Because I can't see you stringing someone along who is honestly invested in you and your relationship, most especially not someone who truly loves you." He leaned in closer, so his next words were whispered directly in her ear. "Yale's Drunken Confessions Club, membership of two, remember? I know about Dean, and Jess, and Lindsey. I know you grew up from those experiences, I remember how much the guilt affected you… even if you don't." And leaving Rory swarmed with memories from her college days, the boys made their goodbyes and promised to meet her at Luke's in the morning for breakfast.

Chapter Eleven

Rory played absently with her keys as she neared her mother's house. As wonderful as it was to have her friends spend the day with her, it had been a long day. And Finn's parting comments about their 'Yale's Drunken Confessions Club' had left her with even more to think about. It had started on accident, one of the night's that Dean had canceled on her because Lindsey needed the car, or he had to pick up an extra shift at work… the details had faded over the years, but she did remember Finn sidling up next to her at the bar she had found herself in and - after many, many shots - the two of them spilling their hearts out to each other. She told him all about losing her virginity to her married ex, who then became her divorced boyfriend, and he told her all about the sordid family drama that he always had to keep so carefully hidden away from his high society friends, could never risk allowing to leak out to the gossipers and have his mother's and sisters' business spread all over Hartford.

A loud throat-clearing from the kitchen shook Rory from her memories, and she looked up startled to find Lorelai pinning her with an almost angry stare from where she sat at the kitchen table, large cup of coffee in her hands.

"Mom? What are you doing still up? I thought you had a staff meeting at the Dragonfly early tomorrow morning?"

"So you decided to sneak in late so you didn't have to tell me about the rich society boys you were waltzing all over town with?"

"...What?" Still partially wrapped up in all the memories that had clouded her thoughts during the drive home, it took Rory a few extra moments to process to sharp signs of anger and disappointment that Lorelai was putting off. It was enough time, however, for her mother to feel ignored, and therefore enough time to cause her to snap.

"Rory what are you thinking?! Haven't these guys messed your life up enough?"

"Mom, what are you talking abou-"

"And I never thought I would have raised a girl who would have an affair with a married man - oh wait, but you've already done that once, haven't you? So maybe I shouldn't be so surprised? But to just parade Logan's little henchmen around town while the man is off somewhere no doubt spending obscene amounts of money on a honeymoon…"

Rory's mouth hung open in shock, her eyes starting to sting with tears while the hurt and anger built inside her, but every time she took a breath ready to snap back at her mother, a new verbal blow came shocked her into silence all over again. Meanwhile, Lorelai's tirade didn't slow down for a moment: she ranted on and on at Rory about how disappointed she was that her daughter was the kind of person who would just give up the moment she faced something difficult, and turn herself into 'some rich boy's little charity case.' She kept drawing comparisons between how hard she herself worked raising Rory, how she never took handouts from her parents, instead proving she was a better person than that. By the time Rory found her voice, there were silent tears sliding down her face, as much from frustration as they were from the pain Lorelai's words were causing.

"You don't know what you're talking about! Colin and Finn and Robert are here because they're my friends and they care about me. Yeah, they want to help me because I'm in a tough spot and I'm not sure what comes next, but none of that makes them or me or a bad person. And how can you keep throwing the thing with Dean in my face? I was teenager, it's been nearly fifteen years since all of that happened, and I feel _terrible_. You _know_ how guilty I am over the mistakes I made with him. But that has absolutely nothing to do with Logan. Who, by the way, is certainly not some puppet-master pulling strings behind the buys actions. Logan is an ass, and he's made it perfectly clear he won't have anything to do with me or my baby, and that's exactly how I want it.

"And you, standing there and yelling and looking down your nose at me because I have friends from high society - that just makes _you_ the prejudiced, judgemental one, not me and not them. You chose to walk away from that life, but you're still a part of it just like I am. Yeah, you only borrowed money from grandma and grandpa as a last resort, but you always had that option as a fall-back, didn't you? How many other people in Stars Hollow do you think had a back-up plan like that always at their beck and call? And speaking of Stars Hollow, you know for fact that Kirk is honest-to-god millionaire, and Taylor! Taylor owns half this bloody town between his businesses and properties! He's probably as rich as the Gilmores if not more! So either you're a hypocrite or your issue isn't actually that my friends are wealthy, and if the issue isn't that they're wealthy, then the only thing I can think of to explain your vicious, black-and-white hatred of them is that they grew up in the circles that you've spent your entire life bitterly resenting. That doesn't make you a 'better person,' mom, that just makes you every bit as stubborn and close-minded as grandma."

There was silence in the kitchen, both women staring at the other as hurt feelings, righteous indignation, and the first tendrils of regret over their harsh words swirled inside them.

"Maybe I am just like your grandmother, then," Lorelai said suddenly, her already strained voice sounding especially harsh in the silence of the room. "Because here's the deal; as long as you live under my roof, you are done with them. You don't see them, you don't talk to them, and you sure as hell don't take their money. You've made a lot of mistakes recently Rory, but I'm your mom and I love you, and if I have to be the bitch that tells what to do in order to help you get your life back on track, and then that's what I'll do. I'm not going to stand back and watch you derail your life all over again. Every time these guys latch onto you things go bad. You start dating Logan and you end up stealing a yacht, dropping out of school, and planning tea parties with the DAR. You finally break free of him at graduation and start your journalism career, but then he reels you back in somehow and you have this stupid, secret affair while your career tanks and you start turning into this person I don't even recognize. Then those damn 'limo boys' roll into town and sweep you away leaving a path of destruction in their wake and you end up pregnant with a married man's child. So now I'm stepping in and laying down the law: either they go, or you go."

Rory surprised even herself with how quickly she made a decision.

Chapter Twelve

Rory walked as fast as her legs would carry her through the still, cold air of a Fall night in Stars Hollow. She had with her only a coat and a backpack that she had thrown a change of clothes and her writing things into. Her breath came out in little white puffs and even curled deep in her coat pockets her fingers were cold, but Rory walked blindly on, desperate to put more space between her and Lorelai's harsh words. It wasn't until she had already arrived at the back of the building that housed Luke's Diner that she realized where she was headed. Hardly pausing to think through her actions, Rory carefully pulled herself up the slightly rusty ladder of the fire escape in the back of the building.

Years ago, when she and Jess were together, he had shown how if you jiggled the window to the apartment above the diner _just right_ from the outside, the latch on the inside would slowly slide out of place after a few minutes and you could climb right through the window without ever having to go in through the diner. It had been an amusing 'lesson' at the time, but she had never honestly expected to be putting it to use.

It took Rory far longer than she remembered Jess needing - either because the latch was older, or because Rory simply lacked experience in breaking and entering (a certain yacht-related misadventure aside). However, after ten frustrating minutes standing out in the cold, she was able to push the window open and clumsily wriggle her way inside.

The apartment was pretty bare; a table and chairs, old beat up armchair, unmade bed, and several empty sets of shelves the only items that hadn't made the move over to the house. After fiddling with the thermostat and moving to stand in the middle of the room, though, Rory closed her eyes and could picture the cramped little apartment as it used to be when Luke still lived there.

Rory hadn't ever been inside the apartment before Jess's time in Stars Hollow, but she had immediately felt comfortable in a space that practically screamed 'Luke'. Growing up, Luke had been a constant, stable presence in her life. He was someone she could count on without fail, and although she loved her mother with all her heart, Luke had been a safe haven during those times when Lorelai's unique style and energy became just a little too-much-too-big-too-fast to keep up with.

Rory slowly made her way to the small wooden table and pulled out a legal pad, pens, and iPod from her backpack. Despite the fight with her mother, Rory had found herself smiling softly at the memories of Luke piling up in her mind. There was no way she would be sleeping tonight anyway, and her fingers were itching to write.

Hours later, as the rising sun had just begun to light up the world outside the little apartment windows, a much calmer Rory left a new chapter sitting neatly stacked in the center of the table as she snuck out to go wake the boys at the Dragonfly, hoping to avoid a confrontation with Lorelai when she arrived at work later that morning.

GgGgGgGgGg

Luke was more confused than alarmed when he arrived early at work in the morning and noticed a light had been left on in the supposedly empty apartment space above his diner. There wasn't much to be worried about - the apartment was basically empty, and this was after all Stars Hollow; not exactly a high crime area. Still, he immediately let himself into the diner and then made his way up the stairs and keyed into the old 'office' space above.

With the apartment so empty, it was impossible to miss the backpack leaning against the side of the table, or the stack of papers on top. After a quick glance to either side and a peek into the empty bathroom to confirm that no one else was in the apartment, Luke curiously picked up the handwritten sheets. His eyebrows shot up when he immediately recognized Rory's handwriting, and he never paused to question his actions before sinking into a chair as he began to read.

A short time later, Luke absently brushed his fingers over his cheek, wiping away the tears that had started to fall as he read the final passage in the chapter: _At the time, I didn't know to appreciate all that this kind, gentle man did for me: he never forgot a birthday, and never missed a school performance. He fed me when I was sick, and repaired my house when it was broken. He tried to get me to eat healthy, but always knew my favorite orders. He lit up with pride over my every minor accomplishment, and bragged about them for days. And perhaps most importantly of all, he was never once too busy for me, never turned me away, and he listened - truly listened - when I talked. So although my mother raised me as a single mom, and I yearned as any child would for the attention of a biological parent who had chosen to walk away... I never truly felt the absence of a second parent. Because in Luke Danes I found protection, encouragement, acceptance, inspiration, and the fiercest love. In Luke, I found the greatest dad a girl has ever had._

Carefully straightening the papers back into the neat pile he had found them in, Luke calmly stood, shut off the light, and pulled the apartment door shut behind him as he went down to start opening the diner. And if the upstairs fridge was gradually stocked throughout the day, and if a pile of soft pillows and warm blankets somehow made their way from the house to the apartment during Luke's afternoon break, and if Rory's location somehow slipped Luke's mind as he listened to Lorelai rant about Rory's decisions and attitude later that evening, well… how could a dad be expected to act any differently when his daughter needed him?

GgGgGgGgGg

Rather than heading straight back to the Inn after their late night ice cream with Rory, the boys found themselves nursing drinks in a strange, outdoor bar set up in an empty space between two buildings. Although Rory had tried her best to keep up a happy, carefree mask for them for most of the day, it had slipped far too often to be believable. And as her friends, they were worried about her. Not only was she clearly scared about the pregnancy, but they had easily picked up on the tension in her voice whenever her mother came up in conversation, and it also wasn't lost on them that she didn't seem to be overly happy with her the way her life was going even before they had showed up and kidnapped her for their adventure a few weeks ago. So bundled up against the cool night air, and voices soft to match the atmosphere around them, the three bent their heads together and began to plot.

Suddenly the quiet of the night is interrupted by echoing shouts of "Five-O!" and instantly everyone is leaning over their tables to blow out the candles in the center. The sounds of shuffling feet and scraping furniture fill the air as everyone scrambles to press themselves against the brick walls of the adjacent buildings, balancing their drinks in one hand and holding hastily folded tables and chairs in the other. An iron gate is rolled shut and latched and it seems as though everyone is collectively holding their breath. Colin stares at the people around him in a mix of horror and pure, scathing judgement, while Robert tries to control Finn who has has his face buried snug in his friend's chest, desperately trying to muffle his hysterical laughter.

Just then, a light female voice calls out, "clear!" and the whole insane scramble repeats in reverse. Colin is still trying to process just how quickly paintings have been rehung, candles relit, and the duo of musicians in the corner picking up where their last song was cut off, but apparently those thirty seconds of inaction was all it took for he and his two companions to be the only ones left standing, while the rest of the patrons in the 'bar' have resumed their seats and conversations as though there had been no interruption. In fact, the three of them were starting get strange, disapproving looks. As they reclaimed their table, Finn was still trying to cover up his snorts of laughter and Robert was now mumbling phrases like, "ass-backwards," "escaped mental patients," and "social experiment gone wrong" under his breath.

"We need to get Reporter Girl the hell out of this wacky town," Colin muttered, side-eyeing the flannel-wearing men at a table near his to make sure he wasn't overheard.

"I'm sure there are lovely people here, and it was obvious from our 'tour' today that Rory loves this place, but I'm with Colin; living here as an adult has got to be sucking all the drive and ambition out of Mother that helps make her her lovely, fiery self." Robert added. Even Finn, who was still chuckling occasionally as he flagged down the waitress for another round nodded along.

"I'll be honest; I sort of love this insane little circus of a town. But Kitten's not happy volunteering at that pitiful little excuse for a paper in town, and I haven't seen a single other opportunity here for her to work and shine. And while I'm sure all of us would gladly see Rory live out her days coasting along on our fortunes, we all know that's not the life she'll want."

"So then we're all agreed," Colin said, raising his newly refilled drink in a quasi-toast. "Tomorrow we begin Operation Fresh Start and convince Rory to let us help her find a new path forward."

"And we stay by her side every step of the way," Finn added with surprising sincerity, raising his own drink.

"And we stay by her side every step of the way," the others echo, before clinking their glasses together and downing their drinks, sealing their pact with the alcohol.

Chapter Thirteen

There was no one behind the reception desk when Rory arrived at The Dragonfly, so she quickly looked up where the boys were staying in the log book. Secretly amused that the three of them had been forced to share the only room available - one with a single king bed - Rory quickly put the log book away and swiped a spare key to the room before creeping upstairs. She actually giggled out loud when she entered the room and saw Robert sleeping comfortably on one half of the bed, the bulk of the blankets wrapped around him, while Colin and Finn had ended up squished together on the other side of the bed, cuddled together in their sleep, arms and legs wrapped together as they sought warmth.

"Kitten?" Finn asked tiredly, pulled from sleep by her giggles. Seeing Finn's crazy bed-head, and watching him pet Colin's head absently as though he were a pet who had snuck into bed in the night, Rory lost it completely and ended up on the floor she was laughing so hard. Which wouldn't have been so bad, except the hysterical laughter morphed quickly into hysterical crying, and soon all three boys were awake and awkwardly crowded around her on the floor, trying not to panic as they attempted to soothe her tears.

It took some time, but eventually Rory was able to calm down enough to fill them in on what had happened last night.

"Oh Rory," Robert whispered after she had finished, surprising all of them by pulling her into a tight hug and kissing the top of her head. Then again, he was really the only one of the boys who had a healthy enough family dynamic to really understand the pain Rory must be feeling.

"Well that settles it," Colin said decisively, fighting to smother his anger at Lorelai Gilmore, because as much as it would make him feel better to sick his familie's lawyers on her until they had found every last tiny detail to sue for and had financially destroyed her… that wasn't what Rory needed.

"Settles what?" Rory asked, voice still a little hoarse from her tears, but thankfully pulling herself together.

"We're going to help you get a fresh start out of this town. New home, new job, new you. Something that the Dark Lord Huntzberger can't touch."

"And when exactly was this decided?" Rory demanded, half amused and half annoyed.

"Why just last night!" Robert told her cheerfully, giving her a mischievous little wink that made it clear to Rory he was well aware of how cheeky he was being.

"Funny," Rory drawled back sarcastically, "I seemed to have missed that particular conversation." Rolling her eyes when all she got as a response were three unrepentant grins, Rory sighed and added more seriously, "I know this town is strange, and really not your scene, but Stars Hollow is my home."

"We're not saying leave and never look back, love. But maybe look at other options _near_ rather than _in_ Stars Hollow? Close enough to visit easily, but far enough to build a life where you're proud of yourself again?" Finn reached out to squeeze her shoulder gently when she flinched at his words, not wanting to embarrass her, but knowing the words needed to be said.

"If nothing else, it will get you away from that creepy 'ThirtySomething Gang' that was stalking as through town yesterday," Robert added with an exaggerated shudder, trying to help keep the conversation somewhat light-hearted. "That was just wrong."

"And let's be honest," Colin jumped in. "You'd really be doing Esther and Charlie a favor letting the Gazette close down. Don't you think they deserve to retire?"

Rory smiled a little, finding it sweet that Colin had remembered the names of the two elderly staff members of the small paper. However, she also had to admit that they were already retired, and simply volunteered at the paper now; her position as editor doesn't pay, much less theirs.

"An unpaid position for which you pay two paper boys out of your own pocket," Colin pressed, determined to talk her around to their point of view.

"Look, even if I wanted to get out of Stars Hollow, I don't exactly have a plethora of options available to me - a complete lack of money tends to have that effect," Rory said, jumping up to pace agitatedly around the room.

"Well then maybe we just look for something cheap and temporary until you find an actual _paying_ job and get a little more settled, and then-"

"I really don't think you understand the situation," Rory interrupted, tone clearly indicating she was starting to fret. "I'm broke. Busted. Beggared. I have no apartment. No car. Hell, my license expired three months ago. Everything I own is in boxes scattered around three different states. I have no job, I have no credit, I have no underwear because I can't find that box!"* She blushed slightly at the last admission, but didn't let her shame stop her from being honest with her friends. After her mother's ultimatum and her own decision in response the night before, these three were all she had. "I can't even buy new underwear in the meantime, because I am _that_ broke!"

"Rory…"

"It wasn't quite so dire yet, but. I used up the last of my savings flying to London and back to tell Logan about the baby," Rory admitted quietly. "Now that mom kicked me out, my options are either keep breaking in through the window of my step-dad's empty apartment and hope no one notices, or start keeping a sleeping bag under my desk at the Gazette, and hope no one notices."

Everyone was silent for a long moment after her admission, her friends trying to wrap their head around a reality where there was literally _no_ money; no home, no transportation, no way of even purchasing basic necessities. It was Finn who finally made a move, kneeling in front of her and holding her hands in both of his.

"Kitten, _please_ let us help you. We have more money than we know what to do with, and we want nothing more than to see you safe and happy."

"It feels wrong to just take money from you. I haven't done anything to earn it, and I never want any of you to feel like I'm only friends with you for your money," she whispered, unable to meet their eyes.

"Well then what if you earn the money?" Colin cut in, suddenly sitting up straight, a gleam in his eyes that had Rory feeling both hopeful and more than a little nervous.

"...That would be ideal, but Colin, what…?"

"Just hear me out here. If money wasn't holding you back, is there any job you would want to pursue right now? Anything outside of journalism and Mitchum's reach that you would want to try?"

"Well… I hadn't really considered it at the time, but my old headmaster at Chilton talked to me when I gave a guest lecture last spring for Alumni Day. He asked if I ever considered going back to school for my Masters, and that if I wanted, there was a place for me at Chilton to teach, whatever department I wanted." She frowned, remembering their conversation. "He said something about how 'we all go through bad stretches in life.'" She huffed, brow creased in annoyance. "Now I wonder if he hadn't heard something through the grapevine about Mitchum's interference in my career. He was always well informed in the High Society world."

Colin was thinking quickly as she spoke, ideas coming together in his head.

"Okay. Okay, so how about this: apply for a masters program at Yale. You're an alumna who graduated with honors, there's no way you won't be admitted. Once you're in the program, contact your old headmaster and see if you can teach an elective course this Spring, get a feel for whether or not teaching is the right fit for you before you invest too much in your program. I'm sure they'd be able to work around your class schedule easily for a single course."

"And both of those things will break over the summer," Robert added, Colin's excitement obviously contagious.

"Yeah that all sounds great," Rory snapped, a bit more sharply than she intended, but it was painful to listen to her friends paint a picture of a future that really _did_ sound great when she knew it wasn't a realistic option. "But if I already can't afford a place to live, I certainly can't afford graduate school tuition at Yale. And teaching one class at Chilton, if that even works out, is not going to be anywhere near enough income to offset any of that."

"Of course not," Colin said, waving his hand impatiently as though brushing the concerns aside. Seeing the scowl quickly forming on Rory's face, he rushed to explain more of his plan. "You work for us, that's where the money comes from. It's only early October, that gives you three months before Spring semester classes start where you can work full time, and then after that you tell us how much you can handle working during the semester, and we'll find you projects."

"Colin, you can't just say I'm working for you as an excuse to give me money," Rory said in exasperation, but she was surprised by Colin's serious attitude when he responded.

"It's not just talk, Rore. We may all be holding down jobs in the family business, but our lives are a bit in shambles. Well, Finn and I really. You saw how I was a few weeks ago; I get emotional and drunk and start flinging money around, ripping other people's lives apart just because I can, and sometimes just to be an asshole." His jaw tightened and he kept his gaze locked carefully on a bit of wall above Rory's head, avoiding looking any of them in the eye as he analyzed his recent behavior with brutal honesty. "I mean, buying a tango club just so I could suddenly ban tango music from it mid-evening?" He scoffed, more self-loathing coming across in his tone and expression than he had intended, and Rory felt her heart ache for him.

"I may not buy so many things I forget what I own," Finn cut in, wanting to give Colin a chance to get his emotions under control, "but I'll agree to meetings and approve projects at work because I'm drunk or bored or pissed at my father, and then weeks later I'm scrambling to try to get myself out of some pretty bizarre messes of my own making."

"So you want me to be, what… like a secretary?"

"Secretary, life coach, ass-kicker when justified - I may not have the perfect title in mind, but don't doubt that you'd be earning your paycheck," Colin said with humor, a bit subdued but more in control of his emotions now.

"And what about Robert?" Rory asked, surprised to find herself actually warming to the idea. "He doesn't seem to have the same problem with poor-life-choice-making that the two of you sometimes run into," she teased.

"I realize I may get slapped for the way this sounds, but I would happily pay you to escort me to social functions. These two get out of the obligation because a) they don't actually give a shit what impact it has on their family's social status, and b) they're filthy rich they could probably run naked through the annual DAR Cotillion, and people would still find a way to overlook it rather than say a word against the McCrae's or Morgan's. I, on the other hand, have no such excuse, and I find each and every one of those god-forsaken social events utterly miserable." He looked so genuinely despondent at the very thought that Rory couldn't help but laugh, something that made the men with her smile.

"So… Secretary-Life-Coach-Escort for the heirs of three of Hartford's high society families?" She asked, testing the idea out loud and finding that she didn't actually hate it. Not only did she crave the security of having her three friends nearby right now, but she actually really liked the idea of having some way to help steer her friends towards happier paths in life, just as they were trying to do for her.

"What do you think, Kitten?" Finn asked hopefully, the others holding their breath as they also waited anxiously for her answer.

Rory looked from one eager face the next and let out big huff of air as she felt herself giving in.

"So where would a secretary-life-coach-escort-future-student-potential-part-time-teacher live?" She asked playfully, smiling as the others practically cheered.

Rory thought the time was long overdue for her to let these three drag her into a new adventure.

~ End of Part Two ~


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